Spiral chute.



No. 834,720. PATENTBD OCT. 30, 1906. w. 1). GRAY.

SPIRAL OHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 28,1905- f X y z v gj new and useful Improvements in Spiral "floor or level without making opening or claims.

- ablg formed with marginal flanges c and may git'u'dinal flanges (Z.

WILLIAM D. GRAY, OF M PATENT oFinoE.

lLVV A UKEE, WISCONSIN.

SPIRAL OHUTE.

To alt whom. it 'l/t/tg cor/,ccrm v Be it known that 1', WILLIAM. D. GRAY, citizen of the United States, residing at M1lwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain,

Chutes, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanyin 1 drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to conduits for con veying articles or materials of various kinds from a higher to a lower floor of a builcing. Its main objects are to economize space, to provide for and facilitate discharging articles or material fromthe chute at any desired break in the chute, and generally to simplify and improve the construction and operation of devices of this class.

It consists in certain novel features of construction and in the peculiar arrangement and combinations of parts, as hereinafter particularly described, and defined in the The accompanying drawing shows in elevation a chute embo!v ying the invention, parts being broken away The chute a, which is made in the form of an open. spiral an: preferably semicirci lar in cross-section, may be conveniently constru cted in sections 5, of cast or heavy sheet in etal, flanged and. bolts or riveted together at the cues, as shown. To stifl'en and. strengthen the structure, so that it-will be self-s1 pporting between floors, the sections are preferbe ormed with one or more intermediate lon- Being thus made selfsupp'orting andof a form to retain therein t" 2.[tlOl(3S or materials to be conveyed, no dosing casing or other supporting framcwork or structure is required, and. thc space comprehended within the radius of thespiral described by the chute is left clear and available for use. w

Openings are made in the several floors 6, through which the chute passes, and in these openings are fitted hoods or hoppersf, which are preferably flanged and bolted or riveted at the sides to the marginal flanges c of the chute. The upper edges of these hoppers are also preferably formed with ou tturned flanges, wh ch are sunk into the floors flush with. their upper surfaces:

Specification of-Letters Patent.

Application filed December 28,

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

1905. Serial No. 293.673.

For discharging material. or articles conveyed. by the chute on any floor through which it passes or at any other desired point therein turnout-switches g are In'ovided. These switches, which are preferably shaped in cross-section and curved lengthwise to conform with the shape and spiral curvature of the chute, may be conveniently constructed, like the chute, of cast or sheet metal stiii cned and strengthened. by marginal flanges. They are fitted at their. upper ends into the chute and are movable into and out of place therein. W hen a switch is moved into open ative position in the chute, as shown by the lower part of the drawing, it extends at its lower end over the hopper f and bridges the opening through it, into the chute, so that any article or material conducted from an upper floor by the chute will be discharged therefrom upon the floor where the itch is thus placed in operative position.

Tojacilitate handling the switches and moving them into and out of operative position, they are provided near their lower ends with rollers 7L, which run upon the floors c, and at their upper ends they are suspended by yokes i from swinging arms which are pivoted or hinged u on a central vertical col uinn or post It.

When a switch is not needed in service on any floor, it is s'wtng away from the chute, as shown by the upper part of the drawing, and it may he carried under theclu-te, so that it will take up very little room and not be in the way. i

The openings in the floors through which the chute passes and the hoods or hoppers f inserted therein afford convenient means for loading or introducing and guiding material into the chute from the upper and intermediate floors, while the tLu-nout-switches g afford means for diverting the material from the chute and discharging it upon any of the lower floors. I

The spiral form of the chute retards the descentof heavy articles therein suliiciently to prevent injury thereto, and the curvature of the spiral may be varied to secure this re suit with various kinds of materials or articles which it is designed to convey.

Various changes'in the details of construction of the device may be made within the principle and intended scope of the inven tion.

I clain1 3;. An open spiral ehn to connecting 2i nn1nbeif of floors and. composed of metal sections flanged and secured together at the ends end formed with marginal side flanges whereby the structure is stiffened and made seltsup porting between floors, substantially es de sciibed,

2. The combination of (L spiral chute con necting a number of floors and having openings into it at the upper 'llOOY-lQVGl-S, and. e clisohergeswitoh .01 turnout niowebie into ptnoe to bridge the opening at each intermediate floor and: to discharge mete from the climate upon thnt floor, substantially is (51% sense 3. The eombination of an open chute connecting a, number of LZlQ-OLS and a flanged hopper snppoi'tetl by the floor with the ten approximately 'tlush therewith end lending downwardly tl'iiongh the floor into the chute to wlziieh it is attached, substantially as tie sorihed,

4.. The eol'nbinetion of & spiml chute eonnesting a, number of floors, and a. switch edeptedto be moved into end out of the chute at enyfdesired point therein to disolnirge neteriel' or articles therefrom at that point, saibstnntinlly as described.

The combination of 2!. continuous open spiral chute connecting :1 number of floors, openings being made into it through the upl per and intemiodiete floors, and a discharge- WILLIAltl I). GRAY.

Witnesses QHASt L. Gose, BERNAIUJ Q. flown.

inunber of ileum, 

